The western coast of South America is a very productive upwelling zone. However, during El Nino events, phytoplankton productivity in the equatorial Pacific declines sharply. A weak El Nino event occurred in 2014. Oceanographic anomalies included an increase in sea surface temperature and water transparency and a decrease in salinity. Phytoplankton composition also changed throughout time reflecting different El Nino stages. Before the El Nino, the community was mainly dominated by species typical of nutrient rich waters, such as large diatoms or silicoflagellates. At the onset of the event, the number of species and the turnover component of beta diversity increased, indicating that previously predominant species now co-occurred with new species transported by warmer surface water masses. At this initial stage, warm water dinoflagellates were indicator species, while a diatom bloom of Dactyliosolen fragilissimus indicated nutrient availability and some degree of turbulence in the water column. Finally, the overall abundance of phytoplankton was similar to the homologous months in previous years, but under El Nino conditions the community was dominated by smaller cells. Consequently, primary production attained a minimum, as inferred from the highest values of water transparency. There was no evidence of seasonality. It is concluded that the effect of El Nino on the phytoplankton community in the eastern equatorial Pacific is appreciable even during weak events.
Di Stefano, Marialuisa
Litster, Kristy
MacDonald, Beth L.
This research discusses a single case study of a first-grade Latino English Learner (EL) student, Allen (pseudonym), from a larger inquiry-based intervention on inversion and mental reversibility development. The purpose of this case study was to develop a better understanding of the relationship between Allen's English language proficiency and his ability to solve inversion and compensation mathematics tasks. The integration of multiple paradigms confronting radical constructivism and sociocultural theory of learning via culturally relevant pedagogy provided us with a multi-faceted set of perspectives in understanding the interconnection between Allen's cultural and linguistic background and his development of algebraic reasoning. Through conceptual and retrospective analyses, we found that Allen's language features are highly correlated with the development of his thinking strategies and his ability to solve mathematics tasks. Implications of this study include the development of teaching strategies that address critical issues in mathematics, such as the individual differences of learners, specifically ELs from Latino background. We suggest further research is needed in the field of language acquisition and access to STEM related concepts.
Deser, Clara
Yu, Jin-Yi
DiNezio, Pedro
Clement, Amy
The ENSO observing system in the tropical Pacific plays an important role in monitoring ENSO and helping improve the understanding and prediction of ENSO. Occurrence of ENSO has been explained as either a self-sustained and naturally oscillatory mode of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system or a stable mode triggered by stochastic forcing. In either case, ENSO involves the positive ocean-atmosphere feedback hypothesized by Bjerknes. After an El Nino reaches its mature phase, negative feedbacks are required to terminate growth of the mature El Nino anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific. Four negative feedbacks have been proposed: reflected Kelvin waves at the ocean western boundary, a discharge process due to Sverdrup transport, western Pacific wind-forced Kelvin waves, and anomalous zonal advections. These negative feedbacks may work together for terminating El Nino, with their relative importance varying with time. Because of different locations of maximum SST anomalies and associated atmospheric heating, El Nino events are classified as eastern and central Pacific warming events. The identification of two distinct types of El Nino offers a new way to examine global impacts of El Nino and to consider how El Nino may respond and feedback to a changing climate. In addition to interannual variations associated with ENSO, the tropical Pacific SSTs also fluctuate on longer timescales. The patterns of Pacific Decadal Variability (PDV) are very similar to those of ENSO. When SST anomalies are positive in the tropical eastern Pacific, they are negative to the west and over the central North and South Pacific, and positive over the tropical Indian Ocean and northeastern portions of the high-latitude Pacific Ocean. Many mechanisms have been proposed for explaining PDV. Changes in ENSO under global warming are uncertain. Increasing greenhouse gases change the mean states in the tropical Pacific, which in turn induce ENSO changes. Due to the fact that the change in mean tropical condition under global warming is quite uncertain, even during the past few decades, it is difficult to say whether ENSO will intensify or weaken, but it is very likely that ENSO will not disappear in the future.
María Paula Córdoba Toro
Mauricio Ángel Macías
Manuel Esteban Mercado Pedroza
Resumen La antigua china concebía el sexo como necesidad básica del ser humano y como interacción cósmica con la naturaleza. Lo usaron para mejorar la salud e incrementar el placer, creando técnicas de desarrollo sexual recomendadas en las “artes de la vida nutritiva” o Yangshenga a Al grupo de enseñanzas y teorías que hablan sobre cómo alcanzar una vida saludable o la longevidad se le denomina Yangshen y están descritas en varios textos clásicos de Medicina Tradicional China . . La Medicina Tradicional China fue influenciada por el budismo, el confucionismo y el taoísmo, siendo el último el de mayor trascendencia. Los taoístas interesados en conservar Energía y mantener una relación armoniosa del hombre con su medio, estudiaron diversas maneras para aumentar la conexión con el Tao siendo la sexualidad una de ellas. Se consideraba uno método valioso para obtener salud, longevidad y realización espiritual y era practicada con respeto, ya que se consideraba como un medicamento. La razón de tal apreciación es porque durante el acto sexual se interactúa con la Energía sexual (Ching Qi) , un tipo de Qi muy potente que se almacena en el esperma y los ovarios. La práctica sexual taoísta consiste en que las mujeres reabsorban sus secreciones sexuales y los hombres eviten la eyaculación para preservar esta Energía y obtener todos los beneficios ya mencionados. El presente artículo es una revisión del tema que recopila los conceptos básicos y la historia en torno a la sexualidad desde el punto de vista taoísta. Abstract Ancient China believed sex to a basic need of humans, and as a cosmic interaction nature. They used it to improve health and increase pleasure, creating the development of sexual development recommended in the “arts of nutritive life” or Yangsheng I . Traditional Chinese Medicine was influenced by Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, with the latter being of the greatest importance. The Taoists, interested in conserving energy and maintaining a harmonious relationship of man with his environment, studied different ways for increasing the connection with Tao , sexuality was one of them. It is considered a valuable method for obtaining health, longevity, and spiritual fulfillment and was practiced with respect since it was considered as a drug. The reason for such appreciation is because during the sex act it interacted with sexual Energy (Ching Qi) , a very potent type of Qi that is stored in the sperm and the ovaries Taoist sexual practice consisted of the women reabsorbing their sexual secretions, and the men avoiding ejaculation in order to conserve this Energy and to obtain all the previously mentioned benefits. The present article is a thematic review that compiles the basic concepts and the history about sexuality from a Taoist point of view.